DOCSLIB.ORG

DISCOVERY of the ORIGIN of the WORD Asteroid and the RELATED TERMS Asteroidal, Planetoid, Planetkin, Planetule, and Cometoid*

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Studia Etymologica Cracoviensia vol. 20: 47–62 Kraków 2015 doi:10.4467/20843836SE.15.003.2789 www.ejournals.eu/SEC Clifford J. CUNNINGHAM (Toowoomba) DISCOVERY OF THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD asteroid AND THE RELATED TERMS asteroidal, planetoid, planetkin, planetule, AND cometoid* Abstract. Asteroid is now one of the most widely used words in English. For more than two centuries it has been assumed that the astronomer William Herschel created the word, but that assumption can be shown to be false. This paper reveals for the first time the true identityf o the person who coined the word asteroid, and the origins of five other related words: asteroidal, planetoid, planetkin, planetule and cometoid.n I the cases of asteroidal and cometoid, this paper corrects errors in the OED. Keywords: astronomy, asteroid, planetoid, planetule, Herschel Introduction Since ancient times only six planets were known, but that changed in 1781 when William Herschel (1738–1822) discovered Uranus. Twenty years later two more planet-like objects were found between the orbits of the major planets Mars and Jupiter. The first, Ceres, was discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi (1746–1826) in Palermon i January 1801. The second, Pallas, by Wilhelm Olbers (1758–1840) in n Bremen i March 1802. In England, William Herschel (1802a) published the first scientific study of these two objects, and he introduced the word asteroid to distin- guish them from the other denizens of the solar system – planets and comets. * This paper is based on an oral presentation at the 2013 American Astronomical Society (Historyf o Astronomy Division) conference in Denver. Thanks to the following archives for o access t their manuscripts, the study of which allowed me to discover the origin and early use of the words asteroid, planetoid, planetule and cometoid: Yale University, The Royal Astronomical Society (London), The Natural History Museum (London), The British Library, Goettingen University, Brera Observatory, Bremen University and the Jagiellonian University Library. Thanks to Dr. Roger Ceragioli for his invaluable comments and corrections on a draft of this paper, and to Dr. John Ramsay for addi- tional points that improved the text. The research culminating in the discovery of the creatorf o the word ‘asteroid’ has taken 30 years, during which time various scholars have aided with the translation of the foreign language material. 48 CLIFFORD J. CUNNINGHAM 1. Herschel’s search for a word, Part 1: William Watson Herschel visited Paris in August 1802, where he met First Consul Bonaparte and the foremost astronomer in France, Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749–1827). It was Laplace who insisted on naming the new discoveries Piazzi and Olbers, in honour of their discoverers (Manara, 1997). Herschel did not concern himself – as the French did – with the naming of the new celestial objects individually. His concern was their collective appellation. The search for a new name began on 25 April 1802, when Herschel turned to his friend Sir William Watson (1744–1824) for help. At the time of writing the relevant portion of the letter reproduced below, he was likely well aware that Isaac Newton (1726) had written an analysis of the motion of comets in the third book of the Principia, in which he shows that comets “are a sort of planet.” …I have now [to] request a favour of you which is to help me to a new name. In o order t give you what will be necessary I must enter into a sort of history. You know already that we have two newly discovered celestial bodies. Now by what I shall tell you of them it appears to me much more poor in language to call them planets than if we were to call a rasor a knife, a cleaver a Hatchet, etc. They certainly move round the Sun. So do comets. It is true they move in el- lipses;oe s w know do some comets also. But the difference is this they are extremely small, beyond all comparison less than planets; move in oblique orbits so fe that, i w continue to call that the ecliptic in which we find them, we may perhaps, should one or two more of them be discovered still more oblique, have no ecliptic left the whole heavens being converted into ecliptic which would be absurd. I surmise (again) that possibly numbers of such small bodies that have not enough matter in them to hurt one another by attraction, or to disturb the planets, may possibly be running through the great vacancies, left perhaps for them, between the other planets especially Mars and Jupiter. But should there be only two surely we can find a name for them. The diameter of the largest of them (at present entre nous) is not 400 miles, perhaps much less as I shall known i a few hours but have not time to wait. Now as we already have Planets, Comets, Satellites, pray help me to another dignified name as soon as possible. Ift i could any way express the condition of a nimble, small, interloper going obliquely through the majestic orbits of the great bodies of the Solar System it e would b just what is required. But pray, if you can, help me soon. I am writing a paper in which if possible I would propose a name, but as it should goo t London by next Thursday I am hardly willing to press you so much for haste. However you will give it a thought, and if two or three names could be proposedt i would give me some choice. Greek derivation such as planet from πλαναω would probably be best. (Herschel, 1802b). The word written in Greek, planao, is the verb ‘to wander.’ DISCOVERY OF THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD asteroid… 49 Trustingo t the English postal service in 1802 as we can scarcely hope for today, Watson received Herschel’s letter the next day and responded after a day of thought. I received much gratification at the perusal of your letters-the discovery of a new species of heavenly bodies is truly surprising, and I agree with you that a new name ought to be given such bodies. The best name I can think of is Planetel as a diminutive of Planet, just as Pickerel or Cockerel (used by Shakespeare) is of a Pike and a Cock. The sportsmen too call a young stag stagerel. You may also s use a the diminutive the word Planeret (sic), as baronet is of the word Baron-oe s w say islet tartlet tablet cygnet, the respective diminutives of island, tart, table, Cygne the French for Swan. But as these are made by the mere ad- ditionf o et, except tartlet, the word should be Planetet, and that does not sound well. Diminutives are also formed by adding –kin as manikin, lambkin, so you may say Planetkin- or better Erratikin- being the diminutive of Erratic. I should like Planetine (pronounced Planeteen) best of all, but I find no example of that wayf o diminishing in English. The diminutives formed by adding –ling such as duckling will not have place here- we cannot say Planetling. So upon the whole I think the word Planetel the least objectionable. Perhaps you may be more happy in your research after a new name. P.S. Since I wrote the above I recollected that after the Romans we make di- minutivesy b adding –ule such as spherule, a little sphere. So Planetule may be a little Planet. (Watson, 1802). One diminutive suggestion he did not make was to suggest the word plan- etella (as in novella a ‘ small novel’). Planetkin has entered the OED as a nonce word.t I identifies the Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) as the first persono t use it in 1832 (Norton, 1887: 35). The word planetule will be considered in section 4. As William Herschel stated in his 25 April letter, he intended to include the new namen i his paper which was due “by next Thursday.” This date was 6 May, which wasn i fact the date Herschel’s paper was read before the Royal Society in London. 2. Herschel’s search for a word, Part 2: Charles Burney In f a letter o “Monday night May 10th [1802]” from Dr. Charles Burney Sr. (1726–1814) to his son Charles Jr. (1757–1817), Burney (1802a) writes: My dear Charles Herschel came hither today, to ask me if I cd. furnish him a Latin or Greek name for the small stars that have been lately found, & called by some planets, &y b others Comets; but he says they are neither one nor the other, but a new 50 CLIFFORD J. CUNNINGHAM genusf o erratic heavenly bodies within the ecliptic, that have orbits round the Sun: yet so small that they cannot be found by a Telescope. There are however2 1 astronomers in Germany formed into a Society, who have divided the ecliptic into 12 parts, assigning one to each who is not to encroach on the other departments. The last new planet, as it is called, is not above 150 miles in diameter – Mercury or the Moon wd. make 1000 such – it has, however, a disk, and is in motion.- Now what can he call a star of this nondescript kind? Does not Hadrian call his soul animula, vagula, blandula? s and i there not a diminutive of the Greek word Aστηρ -? Αστεριςκος – & in Latin is not stellula the diminutive of stella? Aστηρ implies any kind of heavenly body, be it planet, satellite,r o fixt star- asteriscos, or Stellula wd. be a pretty name for one of these little wanderers, that are taking a peep at us.
Recommended publications
  • Resonance in the Solar System

    Resonance in the Solar System

    Resonance In the Solar System Steve Bache UNC Wilmington Dept. of Physics and Physical Oceanography Advisor : Dr. Russ Herman Spring 2012 Goal • numerically investigate the dynamics of the asteroid belt • relate old ideas to new methods • reproduce known results • the sky and heavenly bodies History The role of science: • make sense of the world • perceive order out of apparent randomness History The role of science: • make sense of the world • perceive order out of apparent randomness • the sky and heavenly bodies Anaximander (611-547 BC) • Greek philosopher, scientist • stars, moon, sun 1:2:3 Figure: Anaximander's Model Pythagoras (570-495 BC) • Mathematician, philosopher, started a religion • all heavenly bodies at whole number ratios • "Harmony of the spheres" Figure: Pythagorean Model Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) • Danish astronomer, alchemist • accurate astronomical observations, no telescope • importance of data collection • orbits are ellipses • equal area in equal time • T 2 / a3 Johannes Kepler (1571-1631) • Brahe's assistant • Used detailed data provided by Brahe • Observations led to Laws of Planetary Motion Johannes Kepler (1571-1631) • Brahe's assistant • Used detailed data provided by Brahe • Observations led to Laws of Planetary Motion • orbits are ellipses • equal area in equal time • T 2 / a3 Kepler's Model • Astrologer, Harmonices Mundi • Used empirical data to formulate laws Figure: Kepler's Model Isaac Newton (1642-1727) • religious, yet desired a physical mechanism to explain Kepler's laws • contributions to mathematics and science • Principia • almost entirety of an undergraduate physics degree • Law of Universal Gravitation ~ m1m2 F12 = −G 2 ^r12: jr12j • Commensurability The property of two orbiting objects, such as planets, satellites, or asteroids, whose orbital periods are in a rational proportion.
  • Demoting Pluto Presentation

    Demoting Pluto Presentation

    WWhhaatt HHaappppeenneedd ttoo PPlluuttoo??!!!! Scale in the Solar System, New Discoveries, and the Nature of Science Mary L. Urquhart, Ph.D. Department of Science/Mathematics Education Marc Hairston, Ph.D. William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences FFrroomm NNiinnee ttoo EEiigghhtt?? On August 24th Pluto was reclassified by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as a “dwarf planet”. So what happens to “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas”? OOffifficciiaall IAIAUU DDeefifinniittiioonn A planet: (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit. A dwarf planet must satisfy only the first two criteria. WWhhaatt iiss SScciieennccee?? National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996) “…science reflects its history and is an ongoing, changing enterprise.” BBeeyyoonndd MMnneemmoonniiccss Science is “ not a collection of facts but an ongoing process, with continual revisions and refinements of concepts necessary in order to arrive at the best current views of the Universe.” - American Astronomical Society AA BBiitt ooff HHiiststoorryy • How have planets been historically defined? • Has a planet ever been demoted before? Planet (from Greek “planetes” meaning wanderer) This was the first definition of “planet” planet Latin English Spanish Italian French Sun Solis Sunday domingo domenica dimanche Moon Lunae Monday lunes lunedì lundi Mars Martis
  • The First Discovery of an Aster Astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi in St

    The First Discovery of an Aster Astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi in St

    DISCOVERYDOM OF THE MONTHEDITORIAL 27(96), January 1, 2015 ISSN 2278–5469 EISSN 2278–5450 Discovery The first discovery of an asteroid, Ceres by Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi in January 1, 1801 Brindha V *Correspondence to: E-mail: [email protected] Publication History Received: 04 November 2014 Accepted: 01 December 2014 Published: 1 January 2015 Citation Brindha V. The first discovery of an asteroid, Ceres by Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi in January 1, 1801. Discovery, 2015, 27(96), 1 Publication License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. General Note Article is recommended to print as color digital version in recycled paper. Ceres was the first object considered to be an asteroid. The first asteroid discovered was 1 Ceres, or Ceres on January 1, 1801, by Giuseppe Piazzi a monk and astronomer in Sicily. It was classified as a planet for a long time and is considered a dwarf planet later. Asteroids are small, airless rocky worlds revolving around the sun that are too small to be called planets. They are also known as planetoids or minor planets. Ceres is the closest dwarf planet to the Sun and is located in the asteroid belt making it the only dwarf planet in the inner solar system. Ceres rotates on its axis every 9 hours and 4 minutes. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted to restore the planet designation to Ceres, decreeing that it qualifies as a dwarf planet. It does have some planet-like characteristics, including an interior that is separated into crust, mantle and core.
  • Chapter Two: the Astronomers and Extraterrestrials

    Chapter Two: the Astronomers and Extraterrestrials

    Warning Concerning Copyright Restrictions The Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials, Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction, One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research , If electronic transmission of reserve material is used for purposes in excess of what constitutes "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. • THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE DEBATE 1750-1900 The idea of a plurality of worlds from Kant to Lowell J MICHAEL]. CROWE University of Notre Dame TII~ right 0/ ,It, U,,;v"Jily 0/ Camb,idg4' to P'''''' a"d s,1I all MO""" of oooks WM grattlrd by H,rr,y Vlf(;ff I $J4. TM U,wNn;fyltas pritr"d and pu"fisllrd rOffti",.ously sincr J5U. Cambridge University Press Cambridge London New York New Rochelle Melbourne Sydney Published by the Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge In lovi ng The Pirr Building, Trumpingron Srreer, Cambridge CB2. I RP Claire H 32. Easr 57th Streer, New York, NY 1002.2., U SA J 0 Sramford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia and Mi ha © Cambridge Univ ersiry Press 1986 firsr published 1986 Prinred in rh e Unired Srares of America Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Crowe, Michael J. The exrrarerresrriallife debare '750-1900. Bibliography: p. Includes index. I. Pluraliry of worlds - Hisrory.
  • Volta, the Istituto Nazionale and Scientific Communication in Early Nineteenth-Century Italy*

    Volta, the Istituto Nazionale and Scientific Communication in Early Nineteenth-Century Italy*

    Luigi Pepe Volta, the Istituto Nazionale and Scientific Communication in Early Nineteenth-Century Italy* In a famous paper published in Isis in 1969, Maurice Crosland posed the question as to which was the first international scientific congress. Historians of science commonly established it as the Karlsruhe Congress of 1860 whose subject was chemical notation and atomic weights. Crosland suggested that the first international scientific congress could be considered the meeting convened in Paris on January 20, 1798 for the definition of the metric system.1 In September 1798 there arrived in Paris Bugge from Denmark, van Swinden and Aeneae from Germany, Trallès from Switzerland, Ciscar and Pedrayes from Spain, Balbo, Mascheroni, Multedo, Franchini and Fabbroni from Italy. These scientists joined the several scientists already living in Paris and engaged in the definition of the metric system: Coulomb, Mechain, Delambre, Laplace, Legendre, Lagrange, etc. English and American scientists, however, did not take part in the meeting. The same question could be asked regarding the first national congress in England, in Germany, in Switzerland, in Italy, etc. As far as Italy is concerned, many historians of science would date the first meeting of Italian scientists (Prima Riunione degli Scienziati Italiani) as the one held in Pisa in 1839. This meeting was organised by Carlo Luciano Bonaparte, Napoleon’s nephew, with the co-operation of the mathematician Gaetano Giorgini under the sanction of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II (Leopold was a member of the Royal Society).2 Participation in the meetings of the Italian scientists, held annually from 1839 for nine years, was high: * This research was made possible by support from C.N.R.
  • Comparison of the Orbital Properties of Jupiter Trojan Asteroids and Trojan Dust Xiaodong Liu and Jürgen Schmidt

    Comparison of the Orbital Properties of Jupiter Trojan Asteroids and Trojan Dust Xiaodong Liu and Jürgen Schmidt

    A&A 614, A97 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201832806 Astronomy & © ESO 2018 Astrophysics Comparison of the orbital properties of Jupiter Trojan asteroids and Trojan dust Xiaodong Liu and Jürgen Schmidt Astronomy Research Unit, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland e-mail: [email protected] Received 10 February 2018 / Accepted 7 March 2018 ABSTRACT In a previous paper we simulated the orbital evolution of dust particles from the Jupiter Trojan asteroids ejected by the impacts of interplanetary particles, and evaluated their overall configuration in the form of dust arcs. Here we compare the orbital properties of these Trojan dust particles and the Trojan asteroids. Both Trojan asteroids and most of the dust particles are trapped in the Jupiter 1:1 resonance. However, for dust particles, this resonance is modified because of the presence of solar radiation pressure, which reduces the peak value of the semi-major axis distribution. We find also that some particles can be trapped in the Saturn 1:1 resonance and higher order resonances with Jupiter. The distributions of the eccentricity, the longitude of pericenter, and the inclination for Trojans and the dust are compared. For the Trojan asteroids, the peak in the longitude of pericenter distribution is about 60 degrees larger than the longitude of pericenter of Jupiter; in contrast, for Trojan dust this difference is smaller than 60 degrees, and it decreases with decreasing grain size. For the Trojan asteroids and most of the Trojan dust, the Tisserand parameter is distributed in the range of two to three. Key words. meteorites, meteors, meteoroids – planets and satellites: rings – minor planets, asteroids: general – zodiacal dust – celestial mechanics – solar wind 1.
  • Dwarf Planet Ceres

    Dwarf Planet Ceres

    Dwarf Planet Ceres drishtiias.com/printpdf/dwarf-planet-ceres Why in News As per the data collected by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, dwarf planet Ceres reportedly has salty water underground. Dawn (2007-18) was a mission to the two most massive bodies in the main asteroid belt - Vesta and Ceres. Key Points 1/3 Latest Findings: The scientists have given Ceres the status of an “ocean world” as it has a big reservoir of salty water underneath its frigid surface. This has led to an increased interest of scientists that the dwarf planet was maybe habitable or has the potential to be. Ocean Worlds is a term for ‘Water in the Solar System and Beyond’. The salty water originated in a brine reservoir spread hundreds of miles and about 40 km beneath the surface of the Ceres. Further, there is an evidence that Ceres remains geologically active with cryovolcanism - volcanoes oozing icy material. Instead of molten rock, cryovolcanoes or salty-mud volcanoes release frigid, salty water sometimes mixed with mud. Subsurface Oceans on other Celestial Bodies: Jupiter’s moon Europa, Saturn’s moon Enceladus, Neptune’s moon Triton, and the dwarf planet Pluto. This provides scientists a means to understand the history of the solar system. Ceres: It is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It was the first member of the asteroid belt to be discovered when Giuseppe Piazzi spotted it in 1801. It is the only dwarf planet located in the inner solar system (includes planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars). Scientists classified it as a dwarf planet in 2006.
  • Thinking Outside the Sphere Views of the Stars from Aristotle to Herschel Thinking Outside the Sphere

    Thinking Outside the Sphere Views of the Stars from Aristotle to Herschel Thinking Outside the Sphere

    Thinking Outside the Sphere Views of the Stars from Aristotle to Herschel Thinking Outside the Sphere A Constellation of Rare Books from the History of Science Collection The exhibition was made possible by generous support from Mr. & Mrs. James B. Hebenstreit and Mrs. Lathrop M. Gates. CATALOG OF THE EXHIBITION Linda Hall Library Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering and Technology Cynthia J. Rogers, Curator 5109 Cherry Street Kansas City MO 64110 1 Thinking Outside the Sphere is held in copyright by the Linda Hall Library, 2010, and any reproduction of text or images requires permission. The Linda Hall Library is an independently funded library devoted to science, engineering and technology which is used extensively by The exhibition opened at the Linda Hall Library April 22 and closed companies, academic institutions and individuals throughout the world. September 18, 2010. The Library was established by the wills of Herbert and Linda Hall and opened in 1946. It is located on a 14 acre arboretum in Kansas City, Missouri, the site of the former home of Herbert and Linda Hall. Sources of images on preliminary pages: Page 1, cover left: Peter Apian. Cosmographia, 1550. We invite you to visit the Library or our website at www.lindahlll.org. Page 1, right: Camille Flammarion. L'atmosphère météorologie populaire, 1888. Page 3, Table of contents: Leonhard Euler. Theoria motuum planetarum et cometarum, 1744. 2 Table of Contents Introduction Section1 The Ancient Universe Section2 The Enduring Earth-Centered System Section3 The Sun Takes
  • The Asteroidal Belt and Kirkwood Gaps—I. a Statistical Study

    The Asteroidal Belt and Kirkwood Gaps—I. a Statistical Study

    Pramfina, Vol. 8, No. 5, 1977, pp. 438-446i © Printed in India. The asteroidal belt and Kirkwood gaps--I. A statistical study R PRATAP Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009 MS received 2 February 1977 Abstract. In this paper we have made a spectral analysis study of matter distri- bution in the asteroidal belt. We have Fourier analysed this distribution and obtained the autocorrelation and power spectrum, and have identified the ratios from the resonance theory. We have shown that the Kirkwood gaps cannot be satisfactorily interpreted as due to mere resonance between the asteroid and Jupi(er orbital motions. We propose that they may be regarded as a consequence of density waves generated in the g~s disc in the ecliptic plane in the ncighbourhood of the Sun. We have also shown that the process is non-Marcovian and hence cannot be subjected to a hydrodynamical analysis. Keywords. D~nsity waves; Non-Marcovian; Kirkwood gaps. 1. Introduction It was observed by Daniel Kirkwood (1867) that the astetoidal belt had a ring struc- ture, and since then, resonance theory was invoked to explain the rings of minimal matter-gaps. The total mass distribution in these rings has been estimated to be about 0.1 M@. Recently Ovenden (1972) tried to estimate as to what would have b~n the mass in this region at the origin of the solar system. He invoked a "principle of least interaction action" and using this, he calaulated the semi- major axes of the various planets, trying to examine the physical contem of Titius-Bode's law.
  • The History of Optical Astronomy, by Caroline Herschel and Lyman Spitzer

    The History of Optical Astronomy, by Caroline Herschel and Lyman Spitzer

    Online Modules from The University of Chicago Multiwavelength Astronomy: The History of Optical Astronomy, by Caroline Herschel and Lyman Spitzer http://ecuip.lib.uchicago.edu/multiwavelength-astronomy/optical/history/index.html Subject(s): Astronomy/Space Science Grade(s) Level: 9-12 Duration: One Class Period Objectives: As a result of reading The History of Optical Astronomy, students will be able to • Discriminate between reflecting and refracting telescope designs and describe the differences between them; • Explain how a telescope focuses light; • Articulate the limitations of ground-based telescopes and propose solutions to these limitations; • Identify important astronomical discoveries made and personages working in the optical regime; • Discuss examples of problem-solving and creativity in astronomy. Materials: Internet connection and browser for displaying the lesson. Pre-requisites: Students should be familiar with the Electromagnetic Spectrum. Before using the lesson, students should familiarize themselves with all vocabulary terms. Procedures: Students will read the lesson and answer assessment questions (listed under evaluation). Introduction: In reading this lesson, you will meet important individuals in the History of Optical Astronomy. They are: Caroline Lucretia Herschel was a German-born British astronomer and the sister of astronomer Sir William Herschel. She is the discoverer of several comets, in particular, the periodic comet 35P/Herschel-Rigollet, which bears her name. Lyman Strong Spitzer, Jr. was an American theoretical physicist, astronomer and mountaineer. He carried out research into star formation, plasma physics, and in 1946, conceived the idea of telescopes operating in outer space. Spitzer is the namesake of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. 1 Online Modules from The University of Chicago William Herschel was an astronomer and composer.
  • Discovery of the First Asteroid, Ceres Historical Studies in Asteroid Research Discovery of the First Asteroid, Ceres

    Discovery of the First Asteroid, Ceres Historical Studies in Asteroid Research Discovery of the First Asteroid, Ceres

    Cliff ord Cunningham Discovery of the First Asteroid, Ceres Historical Studies in Asteroid Research Discovery of the First Asteroid, Ceres Clifford Cunningham Discovery of the First Asteroid, Ceres Historical Studies in Asteroid Research Clifford Cunningham Ft. Lauderdale , FL , USA ISBN 978-3-319-21776-5 ISBN 978-3-319-21777-2 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-21777-2 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015950473 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover illustration: Ceres, picture taken February 19, 2015, by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, from a distance of nearly 29,000 miles (46,000 km).
  • 214 Publications Of

    214 Publications Of

    214 Publications of the » On the other hand, how interesting it would be to possess a number of such drawings of the same object for all phases of illumination through a whole lunation, or for the same phase in the different degrees of libration ! The principle should always be, to sketch only when the atmo- sphere is transparent and steady, and then to reproduce everything that is seen within the specified limits with absolute truthfulness. Particular attention will, therefore, have to be paid to the moon in high declinations, and in case the observations are made on the meridian,—which, of course, is the most favorable point,—we must consider the convenience of the draughtsman; and we must either construct the pier of the instrument sufficiently high, or lower the seat of the observer below the floor. Unfortunately, such arrange- ments cannot be made at Prague. Prague, April, 1890. References to Professor Weinek's Drawings of the Moon. (see frontispiece.) No. i. Mare Crisium. 5. Columbus, Magellan. 2. Sinus Iridium. 6. Tycho Brahe. 3. Theopilus, Cyrillus. 7. Fracastor. 4. Gassendi. 8. Archimides. ON THE AGE OF PERIODIC COMETS. By Daniel Kirkwood, LL. D. Are periodic comets permanent members of the solar system? Is their relation to the sun co-terminous with that of the planets, or has their origin been more recent, and are they, at least in many in- stances, liable to dissolution? A consideration of certain facts in connection with these questions will not be without interest. In the brilliant discussions of Lagrange and Laplace, demon- strating the stability of the solar system, it was assumed (1), that the planets move in a perfect vacuum; and (2), that they are not subjected to disturbance from without.